An Unusual Coastal Environment and Cochlodinium polykrikoides Blooms in 1995 in the South Sea of Korea

Cochlodinium polykrikoides bloom in 1995 was studied with a focus on an unusual coastal environment in the South Sea of Korea. Data on temperature, salinity, and zooplankton biomass during 1965-1998 and nutrients during 1990-1998 and chlorophyll-a during 1995-1998 were used in this study. These data were obtained from the serial oceanographic observations in Korean waters carried out by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute. In 1995 the C. polykrikoides bloom began in the coastal area around Narodo Island in August and consequently occurred to the whole coastal area of the South and East Seas of Korea. During June-October 1995, the coastal environment was unusual compared with the long-term means during 1965-1998. In June 1995, sea surface temperature was 1-2$^{\circ}C$ warmer than in other years in all coastal areas, while salinity was high only to the east of Jeju Island. In August 1995, a strong coastal front appeared inshore of a line between Jeju and Tsushima Islands. In particular, a strong coastal front which showed the characteristics of upwelling front occurred in the coastal area around Narodo and Sorido Islands, not only because of a strong intrusion of the Tsushima Warm Current but also because of the upwelling of cold bottom water. Salinity was low in the neighboring waters of western side of Jeju Island. Nutrients and chlorophyll-a were high in the inshore area between Narodo and Sorido Islands in 1995 in contrast with the other years and areas. Zooplankton showed an unusually high abundance in the coastal area in October 1995. We conclude that the Tsushima Warm Current strongly influenced the South Sea of Korea in 1995 and created strong upwelling front bordering cold upwelled water in the coastal area around Narodo and Sorido Islands. It leads us that these physical structures introduce the favorable environment for the development of C. polykrikoides blooms. We suggest that C. polykrikoides has a bio-physical tolerance of high shear and stress and prefers frontal and upwelling relaxed areas as its habitat. We also find that nutrients were not supplied to the coastal area from the offshore where a low salinity water mass with high nutrients appeared around Jeju Island. Because the strong upwelling front protect the reach of offshore low saline water mass. The main source of nutrients was the upwelled water mass in the coastal area of Wando-Narodo-Sorido.